Fatigue is a state of diminished physical or mental capacity arising from exertion, illness, insufficient recovery, or psychological strain, characterized by reduced performance, perceived effort that exceeds output, and a subjective sense of exhaustion. It is conventionally distinguished into peripheral or muscular…
Fatigue is a state of diminished physical or mental capacity arising from exertion, illness, insufficient recovery, or psychological strain, characterized by reduced performance, perceived effort that exceeds output, and a subjective sense of exhaustion. It is conventionally distinguished into peripheral or muscular fatigue, reflecting impaired force generation at the level of the muscle and neuromuscular junction, and central fatigue, originating in the central nervous system and manifesting as reduced motivation, concentration, and drive. Fatigue is multifactorial, influenced by energy substrate availability and metabolic status, sleep quantity and quality, nutrition, anemia, chronic disease, and occupational and emotional load. In clinical and occupational settings it is a prominent symptom and an outcome that shapes quality of life, and specialized constructs such as compassion fatigue describe the cumulative emotional depletion experienced by health and social-care workers. Assessment relies on validated self-report instruments alongside physiological and performance measures, and management targets the underlying contributors through rest, conditioning, recovery strategies, and treatment of comorbid conditions. Themes in the associated literature include physical and mental fatigue in caregiving and social-work populations, compassion fatigue and coping, exercise recovery methods, and continuous physiological monitoring in athletes. This journal publishes peer-reviewed research relevant to the physiology, measurement, and management of fatigue across occupational and clinical contexts.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 23 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Fatigue, linking to each citing work.